The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia, botanically known as Lobelia erinus and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘LOBZ0016’
‘LOBZ0016’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has relatively large, violet-rose flowers, dark green foliage, very good branching and a mounding to upright plant habit.
The seed from which the variety was grown originates from a cross made in the greenhouse in Andijk, The Netherlands in August 2010.
The female parent was an unpatented, proprietary Lobelia plant designated ‘LOB03-113-1’, having smaller flowers, an upright plant habit and a light violet-blue flower color and a having not as deep green foliage as ‘LOBZ0016’.
The male parent of ‘LOBZ0016’ was an unpatented, proprietary Lobelia plant designated ‘LOB 04-315-2’, having dark blue to violet flower color and a trailing plant habit.
The resulting seeds were sown in May 2011 and ‘LOBZ0016’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in September 2011 in a controlled environment in Andijk, the Netherlands.
The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘LOBZ0016’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in the fall of 2011 in a controlled environment in Andijk, The Netherlands.